Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson struggled in the Week 6 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and one of the highest-paid NFL players in 2022 could now be dealing with another significant injury,
Wilson went into Monday Night Football with a lat strain that required a pain-relieving injection just days before facing the Chargers. On a night when he took four sacks and six quarterback hits, Wilson appeared to play with discomfort late in the game. He revealed to reporters during his post-game press conference that he suffered a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter.
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“I got my hammy, I kinda scrambled and moved around on one, I had to throw it away. It got me pretty good in the fourth quarter. Just tried to play through it and all that. I felt good moving around, running around, throwing it and everything else, especially early on and then that happened. So that was a little unfortunate, but, ya know, trying to find a way to win a game.”
Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson on his hamstring injury
While the 33-year-old quarterback managed to play through the discomfort on Monday, his availability for Week 7 is now in doubt. Scheduled to undergo further testing on Tuesday, there is already worry in Denver regarding the severity of the hamstring strain.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Broncos’ organization is concerned in advance of an MRI on Wilson’s hamstring that it’s a “fairly significant” hamstring strain.
- Russell Wilson stats (2022): 1,442 passing yards, 5-3 TD-INT, 58.6% completion rate, 7.3 ypa, 35.8 ESPN QBR
Denver now finds itself in a troubling situation. Already at 2-4 on the season, a struggling offense might now be forced to start backup quarterback Brett Rypien on Sunday against the New York Jets. It’s an alarming scenario to be in, especially since the Jets’ defense is allowing the 10th-lowest average passer rating (82.1) with opponents averaging just 207.8 passing yards per game and New York ranked fifth in interceptions (seven).
The Broncos offense is just a few weeks removed from losing star running back Javonte Williams to a torn ACL. In Week 6, head coach Nathaniel Hackett benched Melvin Gordon and he is now disgruntled about his role.
- Russell Wilson contract: $57 million total cash owed in 2022
Depending on the severity of Wilson’s injury, he could also be sidelined for Week 8. Denver travels to London to face the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 30 and a decision on Wilson’s availability would likely be decided in advance of the team flying to practice in Europe. After that, the Broncos return home for their bye before playing on Nov. 13 against the Tennessee Titans.
Already trailing the Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs by two games in the AFC West, Denver could slip even further down the NFL standings in the weeks ahead. Viewed as a strong bet to make the playoffs this season, the Broncos’ 2022 campaign quickly turned into a disaster.
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